Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Rice University Breaks Ground on New Business School Facility

  • By Matt Jones
  • 05/10/24

Rice University in Houston, Texas, recently broke ground on a new facility for its Jones Graduate School of Business, according to a news release. The design of the $54.5-million project was unveiled at the ceremony; the building will cover 112,000 square feet and include amenities like classrooms, office and administrative space, dining areas, private-event facilities, and open gathering spaces. The university partnered with Architecture Research Office (ARO) and Kirksey Architecture for design and architecture services, as well as Skanska and B. Bell Builders as general contractors.

The new structure will integrate with the business school’s existing home, McNair Hall, to enhance the current space as well as the general campus environment. The project is a response to both a growing student population and a growing entrepreneurship ecosystem that required more building space.

“This remarkable new building embodies the evolution of Rice Business over the past five decades and its commitment to equipping graduates who are not only integral to organizations around the globe but are also poised to lead them,” said Rice University President Reginald DesRoches. “We’re committed to offering top-tier facilities that complement our top-ranked academic programs, attracting the best students, faculty and staff to our campus.”

The building’s classrooms are designed for a variety of learning styles, from traditional lectures to small-group collaboration. They include two 120-seat classrooms, two 65-seat classrooms, and smaller breakout rooms scattered throughout the building. According to the news release, the new building will grow around the existing one to create new public spaces between both.

“We are energized by the momentum of our innovative new programs, the addition of new faculty and students and a fresh outlook on the future,” said Peter Rodriguez, dean of the Jones Graduate School of Business. “Our commitment is to attract more talented and innovative students, faculty and staff to Rice, who will further improve our programs and research capabilities. This wonderful new facility is critical to fulfilling that commitment.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Opportunity by Design Framework

    Opportunity by Design

    Educational improvement efforts often focus on curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional development, and intervention systems while treating the physical school building as background. But school design is not a passive backdrop to learning — it is a structural lever for equity.

  • Embry-Riddle Completes Construction on Research, Lab Facility

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced the end of construction on a new research and lab facility on campus. The Center for Aerospace Engineering II (CAT II) will support aerospace research and technology development and broke ground last summer.

  • Chicago District Completes Construction on New Elementary School

    North Chicago School District 187 in North Chicago, Ill., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Forrestal Elementary School, according to a news release. The new school marks a major investment in military-connected students and families at Naval Station Great Lakes.

  • How Proactive Maintenance Can Transform Athletic Facilities into Strategic Assets for College Sports

    College athletics is entering one of the most transformative periods in its history. With NIL reshaping financial models and competitive expectations, athletic departments across the country are being asked to do more than ever with increasingly constrained resources.